Surah Al-Humazah - The Slanderer
(Revealed at Mecca)
9 Verses in 1 Section
Sections of Surah Al-Humazah
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One Who Amasseth Wealth
Al-Humazah - One Who Amasseth Wealth
Those who amass wealth and think that their wealth will keep them alive for ever, shall be thrown into Hell Eternal.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
“In the name of God the Beneficent the Merciful”
وَيْلٌ لِكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ لُمَزَةٍ
“Woe unto every slanderer, defamer!” (104:1)
الَّذِي جَمَعَ مَالًا وَعَدَّدَهُ
“Who amasseth wealth and hoardeth it” (104:2)
يَحْسَبُ أَنَّ مَالَهُ أَخْلَدَهُ
“Deemeth he that his wealth will make him live forever1“ (104:3)
كَلَّا ۖ لَيُنْبَذَنَّ فِي الْحُطَمَةِ
“Nay! verily, he shall be flung into the ’Hutama2’!” (104:4)
وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الْحُطَمَةُ
“What maketh thee know what the ‘Hutama’ is? (104:5)
نَارُ اللَّهِ الْمُوقَدَةُ
“It is the fire God hath kindled” (104:6)
الَّتِي تَطَّلِعُ عَلَى الْأَفْئِدَةِ
“Which shall mount above the hearts3“ (104:7)
إِنَّهَا عَلَيْهِمْ مُؤْصَدَةٌ
“It shall be upon them, closed over” (104:8)
فِي عَمَدٍ مُمَدَّدَةٍ
“In columns outstretched” (104:9)
Commentary
Verse 1
Akhnas Ibn Quraishe Saqfi used to backbite the Holy Prophet to Walid Ibn Moghaira who listened to Akhnas with special interest and used to spread all sorts of falsehood against the Holy personality in order to obstruct the outsiders coming to Mecca during the annual pilgrimage period, from coming in contact with the Holy Prophet or listening to the preaching of the truth. Akhnas was also very wealthy and very avaricious to pile up wealth and was very much infatuated of his extraordinary economic position and his social influence. Akhnas was busy slandering the Apostle of God and spreading false notes against the truth preached by him. This Surah was revealed with the immediate application of the reference to Akhnas and his comrades, but it applies to everyone among the believers, warning them against the evil qualities, mentioned in it.
‘Wail’ means ‘Woe he unto’ but is said to be a place in Hell with the worst degree of torments or a deep, woeful pit. ‘Humaza’ - one who taunts and ‘Lumaza’, i.e., one who backbites or defames or does slandering.
The immediate reference applies to Akhnas and also to Omayya Ibn Khalaf. Both of these mischief-mongers were busy spreading slanders against the Holy Prophet and his mission as the Apostle of God.
The quality of avarice, the lust for amassing wealth, was in the slanderers, Akhnas and Omayya Ibn Khalaf. Though the immediate application of the reference may be to those particular ones, but the condemnation of the quality applies in general io everyone who might be a victim to the evils.
‘Counting’ mentioned here indicates the anxiety on the parr of the owner to know that his wealth has not been diminished and also to be repeatedly assured of the extent of his acquisition, for he thinks that more the wealth he owns, the safer and happier he would be.
Verse 3
The question here is a warning to the one who avariciously piles up wealth that whatever’ amount of it, one might possess, it shall go, and shall not remain with him for ever, for he has to pass away from here empty-handed as a destitute. Hence, if anyone thinks that his wealth will abide with him for ever, he is fooled by his imagination for it is a matter of certainty that it is only a passing show, with a great many commitments with it, in its disposal, why should man toil more than what he must reasonably do and why should he be proud of a thing which is of only a temporary value and of no permanent worth or use to him. And if he acquires it even by the right means, he is accountable to the Lord about its proper disbursement and disposal and if he acquires it by any foul means, he is to be surely punished for it.
The First Holy Imam Ali Ibn Abu Talib says ‘‘What ye bring forth (the children) is for dust - (to die and get buried). What ye amass (i.e., wealth) is to he left behind. What ye construct (buildings) is to be demolished by time. But what ye act (the deeds) is to he recorded and piled up for the day of the Final Requital”
Verse 4
The root of ‘Hutama’ is ‘Hatima’, i.e., getting rendered or broken into pieces, i.e., it will be crushed, destroyed and thrown into Hell before the eyes of those who spent their lives in amassing it and prided over it and got intoxicated of it, thinking it to be of a permanent value to them - deprived the others of their share, did not spend of it for the benefit of the others who suffered miserably for want of something of it. Besides they had been so much maddened by the acquisition of their wealth they had forgotten God who had allowed them to have it, and thought themselves totally independent of Him and acted as their devilish passions dictated to them, never cared for the limits prescribed by the Lord.
‘Hutama’ that which will break or destroy it, is the Hell-fire.
Verse 5
The question put in this verse about ‘Hutama’ means to signify that man in this life, not having seen anything like it, cannot correctly visualise or understand what ‘Hutama’ would actually be.
Verse 6 & 7
The fire which will not be restricted to effect only the outer body of the individual but penetrating to the innermost parts of the individual’s existence as well as cover the whole of him, enveloping him in huge columns from all sides. It will be a fire kindled by God Whose existence was disbelieved and Whose authority was rejected and disobeyed.
Verse 8 & 9
It will cover the individual, all around him, i.e., the punishment will be to every part of the individual, outer or the innermost, which will be drowned in the fire, and the columns of the fire will be rising even high above him.
